My name is Wayne W. Smith and this blog contains my musings related to higher education, tourism and anything else that comes to mind. I invite you to scroll down and laugh where appropriate, cry when necessary but always remember to consider the source.

Thursday, January 10, 2013

Pondering - Involvement

One again, thanks to Brenda for hosting Pondering. This week's topic is:

"Your children are off on their own with their own lives now,

you need to be less involved with them every day."

This is a tough topic for me. I am a firm believer in family but I like to give my children space to live their own lives (even now when they are young). Someone has to be free to make their own choices (and sometimes mistakes) in order to be able to learn and grow. As one matures into adulthood, more space is required in order for a person to be able to make more serious choices. In that case, I feel parents should become more of a sounding board and less of a directional authority. It is my opinion that a parent's role shifts over time from being authoritative (for children) to more of a facilitator (late teens/early 20s) and then finally to one of a supporter (adulthood). In my mind the love doesn't change but the type of relationship evolves. It needs to in order for ones children to become mature functioning adults.